A World Forever Gone
by CyrahX
Summary: A moment of peace in which Luke tries to find normality in the world humanity lives in now. With Nick by his side, he has no doubts about finding happiness in all this mess anymore. Nick/Luke


Luke didn't know what it felt like to feel secure.

He didn't know what it felt like to feel safe and loved; he had long forgotten how it felt to have nothing to worry about.  
In these times, in which the apocalypse had become normal, it was a true luxury to remain physically and emotionally healthy like before.  
Sometimes Luke really envied the people who shook the whole situation off like it was nothing…

Nobody in his group did until now. Until they had stumbled over Clementine, the strongest and healthiest little girl Luke's ever met, who lived to find safety and happiness with the people she loved.  
Sitting in the now dry field in front of the river, his rifle in his hands, Luke couldn't stop thinking about the situation the world was in. He simply stared at the sunset, lost in his thoughts as so often.

He appreciated the silence. The world like he knew it was forever gone and Luke would do anything for moments of peace.  
After all he'd never be able to return to his old life.

He could never return to his art history studies. 

He could never return to those times in which he and Nick would make big business plans that would fail anyway.

Nick...

Those times were the best ones, Luke thought and absentmindedly smiled, staring at the calm river.  
He remembered how much fun they had during their big plans. How they'd simply sit on the couch and drink a couple of beers whenever something went wrong.  
How they'd just laugh it off and say, "Hey man, ain't nothin' bad 'bout it. Next time it'll work. And if it won't, at least we had fun." 

... 

They really had. But those times were to rest in Luke's memory now.

He was in deep thoughts, so much that he didn't even hear a sound until he felt someone sitting down beside him.

Luke didn't need to turn to his left side to know who it was to get him out of his thoughts. He could tell from his all too familiar scent…

"Thinkin' too much again?" none other than Nick asked, joining Luke at watching the sunset, rifle in his hands too.

"I... I was just thinkin' of old times y'know. When everything was normal."

"I know. You always do. But... I think things can be normal again, if we make 'em."

Luke faced Nick with a weak smile.

"Who'd ya steal that sentence from?"

Nick grinned, "Clem."

"Well, if it comes from Clem, I believe her."

"Jerk," Nick replied affectionately and put his right arm around Luke's waist. Luke leaned into him, closing his eyes for a brief moment. 

"Do ya believe that... that we can make this world normal again? That we can live our old lives someday? Like back then...?"

"Maybe not like back then. I mean, nobody cares 'bout money no more to be makin' business. Public isn't safe enough to be maintaining schools or universities… This world is fucked."

Nick peeked over to his childhood friend who had become quiet, to see him mope like he did so many times. Nick knew that his pessimism didn't help lightening Luke's sad state, so he applied a soft pressure to Luke's waist to get his attention;

"But we can still be like before. Create our own normality. We can't do it for everyone, but we can do it for us."

A small smile formed on Luke's lips as he looked into his secret boyfriend's ice-blue eyes in which he had found comfort ever since they grew closer during the apocalypse.

"What if they won't like it?" he asked quietly and felt Nick caressing his side.

"It'll work. And if it won't, at least we had fun," Nick replied with a grin and softly touched Luke's bare skin underneath his jersey.

"You forgot the 'hey man, ain't nothin' bad 'bout it'," Luke warmly threw in and smiled ever so affectionately. 

"You're right. There ain't nothin' bad 'bout bein' with ya. No matter the consequences."

"Wow, Nick," Luke almost whispered back, a lovestruck and surprised look on his face as he leaned in to close the little space between them.

Their life wouldn't ever be like it had been before; Nick was right about that. But maybe not everything about this apocalypse was bad if that meant having found to the person you've loved all along. The person who could make you feel safe and loved again. Apparently it took the apocalypse to finally see that to Luke, that person was Nick.


End file.
